I'm pretty partial to the Sig P220.

I've been an HK guy since 1995 - USP45, USP45C, USP45 Tactical, USP9, HK45. Custom 1911's have come and gone, but the HK's remain. Like the man said, HK is the Rolex of handguns.

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Tom in AZ
Respect the Dingbat

While I'm not surprised by the Sig P220 doing very in this thread I was hoping to see more 3rd gen S&Ws. I had clean forgotten about the CZ97B and the FN was a pleasant surprise.

Pistol specifically or handgun in general?

If a general handgun, I like the Smith 25-2. It's extremely accurate and pointable, especially with the 6" barrel.

If not a revolver, there really isn't another non-M1911 .45acp semi-auto handgun that I like. They're all too big for my hand, are double action (which I hate), or some combination thereof.

I like Glocks, but the standard Glock 21 is too big for my hand, and I've never had the opportunity to hold a 21SF, much less shoot one.

There's an outside possibility that the M&P .45 MIGHT work, but I've never shot one. I may or may not have held one at a show. The FN FNP .45 MIGHT have been a reasonable size, but is double action. If the FNS comes in .45 it might work.

My Primary EDC is my Glock-36, a compact .45acp. But my very favorite is my G-21. Full size. It is accurate and rugged and dependable. The only reason I like it better than the 36 is that it is larger with higher round capacity. It's my "car gun" on road trips while the 36 rides on my hip or under my arm.

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I'm sorta partial to the M3 allthough the M3A1 would do in a pinch. Best gun General Motors ever made. H&R Reising M50 is next.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

another vote for the USP45.

Another fan of the SIG P220 here...

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C & L

I'm a Sig P220 guy too.

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I have the highest respect for CZ firearms , and especially the CZ-75 , of which I own 3. When I heard the CZ-97 was out in .45 ACP , I hunted one down like a madman possessed.

It was all I expected and more. High quality fit and finish , seemingly overbuilt parts.

But as someone else mentioned , the grip and trigger pull was just too much.

Well I only skipped around and read a few of the many posts here so I might have missed a lot.

With that said after close to 35 years of carrying my modified series 70 Gold Cup as a CCW I replaced it with a smaller .45. I used the G.C. for PPC and club combat shooting &practiceshooting also so I really liked this gun.

Reasons for replacing as a CCW was I had moved quite a ways out of the city and eliminated many of the potential reasons for said firearm. What I replaced it with was an XDs.45 as it is much smaller and lighter but still will do the job if necessary .

That is for most normal carry, for extremely casual like staying around my local area I have a even smaller Bodyguard.380 with pocket holster, but the XDs has a lot of “belt time”

The XDs is very easy to shoot and control than a lot of guns I own so it was a good replacement from my now safe queen Gold Cup. Believe it or not is an easier gun FOR ME to shoot/control than my BG.380.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I think revolvers should be another discussion. and I sure wouldn't mind a 1911 gold cup or thunder ranch (yes both 1911's) the H&K's are great but big $. the sig 220 has got everything going for it I want and like. 8+1 is plenty for me to lug around, + I prefer a single stack and no safety, all metal, easy to strip & reassemble. no bells and whistles, a tank, caveman simple and it just works well. even if it isn't the most accurate or have the best trigger. the Kahr tactical is pretty nice also.

I wouldn't mind owning an old HK P9S in .45 ACP.

C'mon, now. You have a much better .45ACP pistola than that, even if it doesn't hold quite as much ammo and may need a grip adapter. It certainly reloads fast enough, and the sights are a little easier to adjust.

Like this one maybe?

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C & L

Best non 1911 .45acp for me is my 625 Mountain Gun. Shoots 45Colt as well as ACP's ( in a moon clip) Best of both worlds.

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War Eagle!!!

That's the one!

Its sporting some different handle things now.

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C & L

I'll go with the EAA Witness. Mine is the full-size version, pretty much stock, except for some trigger work. It won't shoot great groups but plenty good enough for defensive work at 25 yards. It's very reliable and massive enough to give someone a serious headache if the occasion arises. Plus you can change calibers quickly if you want a 9mm, .40 S&W, .38 Super, or 10mm.

Know what else too, they are a bit pricey.

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John F. - recovering Statist

I was just going through this thread again and noticed the Star PD. I shot this pistol and it's comfortable to shoot as well as nice and compact. I have a friend who really liked them and sought them out. Two of his developed cracks in the frame above the hole where the slide stop goes through the frame. Something to check.

Since this is the Smith & Wesson Forum I'll go with the one S&W should have made..... The 25-2 with 4" barrel.




Or, if it must be a semi-auto then the Sig 220 gets my vote.

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Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

Sig p220. As accurate or more so than any custom 1911, regardless of price. I do admit that the trigger is not the best, but practice can get a shooter past that. I also really like my 1917 revolvers from both S&W and Colt. It's really cool to shoot a piece of history.

WW2 GM Liberator.
All that you need to get a better gun.

Non 1911 pistols in 45 ACP.....

Ok, I've got my NOMEX f.r.c. coveralls, and laser proof glasses.... My pick would be the Ruger KP-90. 45 pistola! dead nuts reliable, extremely accurate , excellent trigger, did I mention reliable? I carried one on patrol for years and was never once
disappointed.

Depends upon your definition of "best." There are several that are quite good. The S&W M&P gets high marks for reliability and ergonomics.

The Glock 2x4, oops I mean Glock 21, has terrible ergonomics (too big, too fat, too squared off, not suitable for anything but open carry by someone with hands the size of a "Big Gorilla" (no offense to "our" Big Gorilla).

The SIG 220 is quite handy and the new 227 feels like a 226 in the hand, so it is not too bad.

HK makes the new HK45 and HK45 Compact, both of which are really nice.

Don't forget the Ruger SR45, which feels good.

Springfield's XDM is good, and has the advantage of using the same mags as the previous XD.

Springfield should make a single stack version of its new XDS in .45 ACP which mimics the size of the 1911 Government or Commander Model, holding 8 or 9 rounds in a single stack magazine. If they did, they would answer the call of literally thousands of shooters who have been begging Glock to do just that ever since 1990 when the G20 was introduced to much fanfare at the Las Vegas SHOT Show, where billboards on the highway from McCarran International announced the "Perfect 10" (the G20 in 10 mm). The G21 followed later that year in .45 ACP.

Unfortunately, the huge 2x4 feel of the supposed "Perfect 10" was eclipsed by S&W's announcement at that same SHOT Show of the FBI contract 1076 and the then-new S&W/Winchester creation, the .40 S&W cartridge and the then-new S&W 4006, and the California Highway Patrol contract. Glock just couldn't compete with that publicity that year.

So, which one is the best non-1911? I will have to go American and say S&W M&P, followed by Ruger's SR45. HK is quite nice, but magazines are quite high priced, hard to find, and HK is just not as friendly to deal with as S&W and Ruger, although admittedly better these days than years ago. SIG is last on my list. They are not consumer friendly, their guns are over-priced and not THAT MUCH better than the competitors. Remember when the SIG Classic pistols were first introduced? I do. The manufacturing methods were supposed to make them cheaper to produce, etc. Well, if it ever did, you cannot tell it by the high prices charged by SIG.